Problem Gambling Statistics

Some hard numbers on the extent of problem gambling.

Gambling Industry Statistics

For a more comprehensive picture of gambling industry statistics and the extent of gambling harms, we recommend you view or download the report below.

View report on the UK gambling industry and gambling harms.

Student Gambling

A 2022 survey of 2003 students in England, conducted by Gamble Aware and YGAM found that:

One in six students have a problem with gambling.
Almost half of them said betting left them unable to go out or attend their lectures.
48% said gambling had impacted on their grades.
57% said they had used borrowed money, including payday loans, to place a bet in the past year.
Out of the survey of 2003 students, the poll found that the average student wagered £33.77 per week, or £1, 756 per year.
Online sports betting was the most popular form of gambling.
500,000 13-17-year-olds participate in some form of virtual gaming in the UK. 93% of children in the UK currently playing games

Women and Gambling

A recent study by the UK gambling commission produced some revealing stats on this topic. For instance, about 41% of female respondents claimed to have engaged in gambling within the previous four weeks.
The Gambling Commission’s study shows that, in 2018, 43% of women gamblers played using their phone – a 5% increase compared the year before.
Up to one million Women in the U.K. gamble due to stress and are less likely to gain help and support.
Among women experiencing high levels of harm, two in five (39%) may refrain from seeking help or treatment due to perceived stigma, such as feeling embarrassed, or not wanting people to know about their gambling.
The number of female problem gamblers in the UK has risen by a third in five years.
The number of women treated for gambling has doubled in the last 5 years, with up to a million women at risk of experiencing gambling related problems.

Gambling-Related Suicide

There are estimated to be two gambling-related suicides per day in Great Britain (about 11% of all suicides) – Gamble Aware source
There are approximately 250-650 gambling related deaths in the UK each year.
One in five problem gamblers had thoughts about suicide in the past year
One in twenty problem gamblers had made a suicide attempt in the past year (2021/22)